Yes, I admit – the title of this blog post was meant to grab your attention.  Just as my attention was grabbed by a quote from John Newton that appeared on John Piper’s Desiring God blog:

In my imagination, I sometimes fancy I could [create] a perfect minister. I take the eloquence of ______, the knowledge of ______, the zeal of ______, and the pastoral meekness, tenderness, and piety of ______. Then, putting them all together into one man, I say to myself, “This would be a perfect minister.”

Now there is One, who, if he chose to, could actually do this; but he never did it. He has seen fit to do otherwise, and to divide these gifts to every man severally as he will. (Richard Cecil, Memoirs of the Rev. John Newton, p. 107.)

I find this a very helpful way of thinking.  We could apply it to our spouses, our children (“why d0es Bobby have patience and not earnestness, while Roberta is the opposite?”), our elders and each other.  We should be thankful that God has spread His gifts around as He deems fit.  Our God is wise, good and sovereign – who am I to think I know better?!?